JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Wildfires ravage Northern California with shocking speed-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — An onslaught of wildfires across a wide swath of Northern California broke out almost simultaneously then grew exponentially, swallowing up properties from wineries to trailer parks and tearing through both tiny rural towns and urban subdivisions.Authorities said that at least 11 people are dead, with 100 injured, and as many as 1,500 homes and businesses have been destroyed. All three figures were expected to surge in the coming days as more information is reported.A new blaze is threatening homes near the Oakmont area of Santa Rosa, a city already battling unforgiving wildfires.Taken as a group, the fires are already among the deadliest in California history.Residents who gathered at emergency shelters and grocery stores said they were shocked by the speed and ferocity of the flames. They recalled all the possessions they had left behind and were lost."All that good stuff, I'm never going to see it again," said Jeff Okrepkie, who fled his neighbourhood in Santa Rosa knowing it was probably the last time he would see his home of the past five years standing.His worst fears were confirmed Monday, when a friend sent him a photo of what was left: a smouldering heap of burnt metal and debris.Some of the largest of the 14 blazes burning over a 200-mile region were in Napa and Sonoma counties, home to dozens of wineries that attract tourists from around the world. They sent smoke as far south as San Francisco, about 60 miles (96 kilometres ) away.Sonoma County said it has received more than 100 missing-person reports as family and friends scramble to locate loved ones.The reports have come via calls to a hotline the county set up for the missing, according to Scott Alonso, communications director for Sonoma County.It's possible that many or most of the missing are safe but simply can't be reached because of the widespread loss of cell service and other communications.Much of the damage was in Santa Rosa, a far larger and more developed city than usually finds itself at the mercy of a wildfire. The city is home to 175,000 residents, including both the wine-country wealthy and the working class.The flames were unforgiving to both groups. Hundreds of homes of all sizes were levelled by flames so hot they melted the glass off of cars and turned aluminum wheels into liquid.Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Noah Lowry, who now runs an outdoor sporting goods store in Santa Rosa, was forced to flee in minutes along with his wife, two daughters, and a son just over 2 weeks old."I can't shake hearing people scream in terror as the flames barrelled down on us," Lowry said.His family and another evacuating with them tried to take U.S. 101 to evacuate but found it blocked by flames, and had to take country roads to get to the family friends who took them in.A 90-mile ( 145-kilometre ) stretch of the highway is framed by the flames and a major concern overnight, said Brad Alexander, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services.Highway 12, which winds through the heart of wine country, was also rendered unusable by the flames."Sonoma and Napa counties have been hit very hard," Alexander said.The ferocity of the flames forced authorities to focus primarily on getting people out safely, even if it meant abandoning structures to the fire.Firefighters rushed to a state home for the severely disabled when flames reached one side of the centre 's sprawling campus in the historic Sonoma County town of Glen Ellen.Crews got the more than 200 people from the threatened buildings, one firefighter said, as flames closed within a few dozen feet.Fires from ruptured gas lines dotted the smoky landscapes of blackened Santa Rosa hillsides. Fire trucks raced by smouldering roadside landscaping in search of higher priorities.The flames were fickle in some corners of the city. One hillside home remained unscathed while a dozen surrounding it were destroyed.Kim Hoe, a 33-year-old tech worker from Penang, Malaysia, was staying at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, which was gutted by flames. He said the power went out around 1 a.m., and he and his colleagues started packing up when someone knocked on the door and told them to run."We just had to run and run. It was full of smoke. We could barely breathe," Hoe said.The large majority of the injured were treated for smoke inhalation, according to St. Joseph Health, which operates hospitals in the Santa Rosa area. Two were in critical condition and one was in serious condition. The number of injured is expected to climb as information comes in for all the other areas affected by the firestorm consuming the state.Flames began coming over a ridge shortly after 11 p.m. Monday in an area bordering Oakmont and Trione-Annadel State Park, Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Summer Black told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat (http://bit.ly/2wLgBge). Most of the Oakmont area was evacuated earlier in the day.October has generally been the most destructive time of year for California wildfires. What was unusual Sunday, however, was to have so many fires take off at the same time.Other than the windy conditions that helped drive them all, there was no known connection between the fires, and no cause has been released for any of them.But the conditions late Monday and early Tuesday were calmer than they were 24 hours earlier, bringing hopes of progress against the flames.Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for the fire areas, and asked the federal government to do the same. Vice-President Mike Pence, who is visiting California, said at an event near Sacramento that the federal government stands with California as it takes on the blazes, but he made no specific promises.To the south in Orange County, more than 5,000 homes were evacuated because of a fire in the Anaheim area. The blaze had grown to nearly 12 square miles (31 sq. kilometres ) as of early Tuesday.Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said evacuations were not likely to be lifted Tuesday."The problem right now is that we're strapped for resources in the state of California," Wyatt said. "We have eight major fires going in Northern California and this fire going as well, and potential for more fires, especially with the weather pattern."The fire has destroyed at least 24 structures.___Knickmeyer reported from Sonoma, California. Associated Press writers Paul Elias, Jocelyn Gecker, Sudhin Thanawala, Juliet Williams and Janie McCauley in San Francisco, John Antczak and Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles, Alina Hartounian in Phoenix and Martha Bellisle in Seattle contributed to this report.Jeff Chiu And Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press.
Fire crews fighting deadly California blazes welcome cool fog-[Reuters]-By Marc Vartabedian-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (Reuters) - Firefighters battling 15 wildfires that have killed at least 11 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings in California's wine country welcomed a drop in winds and an expected layer of cool, moist fog rolling in on Tuesday.Officials said about 1,500 homes and commercial buildings had been destroyed as tens of thousands of acres had gone up in flames since the weekend.Videos and pictures circulated online showed pockets of devastation, including an entire residential neighborhood reduced to ashes, a Hilton hotel ablaze and an inferno that was previously a supermarket.The fires were fanned by high temperatures and dry conditions, displacing some 20,000 residents, robbing others of power and forcing schools and at least two hospitals in Sonoma County to close.Steve Crawford, an operations chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said at a briefing for law enforcement and utility officials on Tuesday morning that a change in the weather could help firefighters."We need to jump on it and take advantage of this lull before any other wind jumps up," he said. "There's a lot of devastation out there, people running around who just lost everything. Keep that in mind. Maybe we're used to seeing fire and destruction but these people aren't."In the wine country north of San Francisco, Sonoma County bore the brunt of the fatalities, with the sheriff's department confirming seven fire-related deaths. Two people died in Napa County and one in Mendocino County, officials said. An 11th death was reported in Yuba County, NBC News reported.More than 100 people had been treated for fire-related injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation, CNN reported.The status of the grape crop currently being harvested in Napa and Sonoma, where the largest fires burned, was unclear.In addition to potential damage to vineyards from fire itself, experts say sustained exposure to heavy smoke can taint unpicked grapes.Fred Oliai, 47, owner of the Alta Napa Valley Winery, said winemakers were nervous."You can't see anything," he said in a telephone interview. "The smoke is very dense." Oliai had not been able to get close enough to his vineyards to see if flames reached his 90-acre property. "We got our grapes in last week but others still have grapes hanging," he said.California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma and five other counties.That included Orange County in Southern California, where a wildfire on Monday destroyed at least a half dozen homes in the affluent Anaheim Hills neighborhood, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents, authorities said.The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved grants to help cover the cost of fighting 10 fires across the state, it said on Tuesday, without specifying the amounts.(The story has been refiled to remove extraneous word "on" in first paragraph)(Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Keith Coffman in Denver, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Gina Cherelus, Jonathan Allen and Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by John Stonestreet and Bill Trott)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Spain anxiously awaits Catalan leader's independence speech-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
BARCELONA, Spain — Catalonia's regional leader prepared to address parliament Tuesday in a highly anticipated session that could spell the birth of a new republic, marking a critical point in a decade-long standoff between Catalan separatists and Spain's central authorities.Security was tight in Barcelona and police cordoned off a park surrounding the legislative building, where Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is expected to walk a fine line when he addresses regional lawmakers.The speech will need to appease the most radical separatist-minded supporters of his ruling coalition — but Puigdemont could shut down any possibility of negotiating with Spain if he adopts a hard line.The Catalan leader hasn't revealed the precise message he will deliver in the address at 6 p.m. (1600GMT), but separatist lawmakers and activists have said they won't be satisfied with anything short of an independence declaration.In Brussels, European Council President Donald Tusk pleaded directly with the Catalan leadership to choose dialogue rather than a divisive call for independence."I ask you to respect in your intentions the constitutional order and not to announce a decision that would make such a dialogue impossible," he said.A full declaration of secession — or an outright proclamation of a new Catalan Republic — would be met with fierce opposition by central Spanish authorities, who could take the unprecedented step of suspending the self-government of Catalonia and taking over some or all powers in the region.Puigdemont himself could end up in prison.Some 2.3 million Catalans — or 43 per cent of the electorate in the north-eastern region — turned out to vote in the Oct. 1 independence referendum, which the Spanish government said was illegal. Regional authorities say 90 per cent who voted were in favour and declared the results of the vote valid.Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government had repeatedly refused to grant Catalonia permission to hold a referendum on grounds that it was unconstitutional since it would only poll a portion of Spain's 46 million residents.Catalonia's separatists camp has grown in recent years, strengthened by Spain's recent economic crisis and by Madrid's rejection of attempts to increase self-rule in the region.On Tuesday, about two dozen tractors flying secessionist flags paraded near parliament and a small but growing group of separatists gathered in the promenade next to Barcelona's Arc de Triomf, where the movement's main grassroots group has called for a rally.The political deadlock has been compared in Spain to a "train collision" and has plunged the country into its deepest political crisis in more than four decades, since democratic rule was restored following the dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco.In the streets of Barcelona, expectations were divided between those who want to see the birth of a new nation and others opposed to the idea. Some feared a drastic backlash from the Spanish central authorities."I am thrilled," said Maria Redon, a 51-year-old office worker. "I've been waiting for this all my life. We have fought a lot to see an independent Catalonia."But Carlos Gabriel, a 36-year-old waiter, said that is "impossible.""He won't do it. By doing so he would be diving into an empty pool," he said referring to Puigdemont's parliamentary address. "These people know it's just a dream. Something very complicated. Something that will carry many negative consequences for all of us."In Catalonia and elsewhere in Spain, people were reading between the lines of politicians' statements to try to figure out what's next.Analysts expected a declaration that would be solid in its wording but symbolic in terms of immediate effects, with Puigdemont perhaps laying out a roadmap for achieving full secession.Even if Puigdemont declares independence, that won't immediately lead to the creation of a new state because the Catalan government will need to figure out how to wrest control of its sovereignty from a Spanish government that has the law, and international support, on its side, said Joan Barcelo, a researcher of political conflicts at Washington University of St. Louis.He said any declaration must be viewed through the lens of "the Catalan government's long-term strategy of provoking an extraordinary and even clumsy reaction from central authorities" to build support.The Catalan parliament's governing board acknowledged Tuesday morning it had received the results of last week's disputed independence referendum. But a parliamentary official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the board refrained from putting the results through normal parliamentary procedures to avoid any legal problems, because the referendum and its legal framework have been suspended by the national constitutional Court.Hundreds of thousands have turned out for street protests in Barcelona and other towns in the past month to back Catalan independence and protest against police violence during the vote. Those committed to national unity have also staged separate, large-scale rallies.The tension has already affected the economy, with dozens of companies relocating their corporate addresses to remain under Spanish and European laws if Catalonia manages to secede. The moves of the firms' bases have not so far affected jobs or investments, but they don't send a message of confidence in the Puigdemont government.Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Tuesday he hoped "common sense" would prevail and blamed Puigemont's "radical" and "irresponsible" government for the current standoff."This is not about independence, yes or no. This is about a rebellion against the rule of law," de Guindos told reporters in Luxembourg, where he was meeting with European Union ministers. "And the rule of law is the foundation of coexistence, not only in Spain but in Europe."__AP reporters Hernan Munoz and Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Ciaran Giles in Madrid, contributed to this story.Aritz Parra, The Associated Press.
Analysis-Juncker's euro-push could risk unity, warns eastern flank By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER-OCT 10,17
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:08-The idea of herding central and eastern European countries into the core of the EU by urging them to join the euro by 2019, has so far created little momentum among non-eurozone member states.European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said in his state of the union address last month that all EU countries (who do not have an opt-out) should join the single currency by 2019.The EU executive will put forward concrete proposals on 6 December, including financial incentives provided by a new assistance instrument for non-euro EU countries.But in effect, what the EU Commission sees as an invitation to avoid further fragmentation, countries such as Hungary and Poland interpret as political pressure, risking increased divisions."Some actors would like to use the eurozone reform as a very good reason to provide much deeper reform of the union, at the cost of integrity. Here, we have tension," Konrad Szymanski, Polish state secretary for EU affairs told reporters in Brussels recently.He said countries should not adopt the single currency because of political pressure, contrary to their own economic assessments."This is the beginning of a political tension," Szymanksi said."The EU is a little bit [of a] wider camp, wider organisation, it is of vital importance to everyone to hold the unity of the union," Szymanski said.Likewise, Zoltan Kovacs, spokesperson for the Hungarian government told reporters in Brussels last month that joining the euro "for the moment it is not the interest of the country", whilst admitting that "under the treaty it [joining the single currency] is not a question, but an outcome at a certain stage".When it was suggested that a multi-speed Europe could emerge if non-euro area members do not join the single currency, with non participants falling behind and becoming second-tier members, Kovacs questioned whether the euro should be the main benchmark for being in the core of Europe."Is it the euro the measurement of core or non-core, further cooperation or no further cooperation? Is it necessary that it is the euro where everything depends?," Kovacs asked.-New incentives-The Commission – which has been struggling to deal with Hungary and Poland on rule of law issues – in fact thinks it is time to become inclusive.The current thinking at the Berlaymont headquarters is that it is not the time to go with a "eurozone only" logic, as some member states would prefer, or to create separate structures for the eurozone.Unity among member states is not only important for the Brexit talks, but it has inflated the value of not emphasising further dividing lines among EU countries.Juncker's state of the union speech was an effort to offer eastern and central European states a stronger cooperation, with part of the offer being joining the euro.An "inclusive" euro summit with the participation of non-eurozone countries is planned for the December European Council.The EU executive thinks that while French president Emmanuel Macron is clearly calling for a core Europe to go ahead and not wait for less willing or less developed EU countries, Juncker can convince central and eastern Europeans that the way to avoid a multi-speed Europe is to join the core."It's a pressure," Poland's Szymanski commented. "We do not see any reason to accept such a choice," he said.Juncker's idea was also received with doubts at the the eurogroup last month, which followed a few days after the state of the union speech."Some countries do not want to be pushed into the eurozone," said an EU source of the plans."For others, it is difficult to pay into something that they don't benefit from," the source added.-Who's next?-While Poland's and Hungary's nationalistic governments are reluctant to give up monetary control, other countries, such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Romania are more open.Romania's foreign minister Teodor Melescanu in August suggested Romania could adopt the euro in 2022. It would be the first country to do so since Lithuania joined in 2015.In a statement, the government said "it is [a] commitment of adhering to the euro area, but has not set a concrete date".Bulgaria aims at entering the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II), the euro's doorstep, "as soon as possible", the country's foreign ministry said in a statement to EUobserver."The newly proposed elements of the EMU seem logical at this early stage, but the support for one idea or another will depend on the details when the discussions on each of them becomes more specific," it added.It called Juncker's new financial instrument "valuable support", but Sofia said that "this new instrument should not be to the detriment of cohesion policy, but to complement it".With the Czech Republic, much depends on the outcome of the October elections, but the country has been walking a fine line between eurosceptic Poland and Hungary and eurozone member Slovakia.However, the balance on unity versus euro-driven deeper integration will be struck between Berlin and Paris. Macron has been pushing for an euro area finance minister, separate budget and parliament.Further integration would require some flexibility from the next German governing coalition, but a presumed coalition partner, the liberal and pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) views Macron's proposals for euro structures sceptically."Particularly after the German election, I am not sure how fast the deepening of the monetary union will be set in motion," said another EU official.
New Dutch government wants 'more EU' on migration, climate By Peter Teffer-OCT 10,17-EUOBSERVER
Brussels, Today, 16:53-The new Dutch coalition government programme, presented on Tuesday (10 October), said the Netherlands is "inseparable" from the European Union.It said that migration, climate change, and cross-border crime can only be tackled if the EU takes "a more active role".Tuesday's presentation came 209 days after Dutch elections resulted in a highly-fragmented parliament, which required a four-party coalition.Prime minister Mark Rutte will lead his third cabinet. His Liberals have teamed up with the centre-right Christian Democrats, the centrist D66, and the evangelical Christian Union.D66 is staunchly pro-European, while Christian Union has always been quite sceptical of European integration.While the Christan Democrats sit in the European Parliament with the establishment group, the European People's Party, its Dutch leader, Sybrand Buma, has in recent years presented himself as a figure increasingly critical of the EU.Rutte himself has ruled with Buma's party before, from 2010 to 2012, at the head of a government that had support from the anti-EU party of Geert Wilders. Rutte's second coalition, with the centre-left Labour party, was more pragmatic on EU affairs.This new coalition has produced a 70-page document outlining its plans for the next years. Some key points:-European cooperation-The parties support a "connection" between EU subsidies from the structural and cohesion funds, and a country's ability to stick to the Growth and Stability pact on government spending.The European budget should be "modernised: more focused on innovation, research, climate and sustainability".Although the previous Rutte cabinet opted not to join the European public prosecutor's office (EPPO), this government said participation in EPPO would "facilitate cooperation to tackle fraud with EU money".The programme said that the cabinet will decide during its mandate "when" the Netherlands will join EPPO – not "if".The current situation of human rights and rule of law in Turkey means that Turkey has "no perspective" to join the EU.The coalition partners support the European Commission's efforts to achieve a "digital single market."-Tax-The Netherlands will tax companies that are only based in the Netherlands "on paper" and will advocate for an end of tax havens.The government-to-be announced that royalties and interest going to countries with "low tax jurisdictions" will be taxed, in an effort to tackle tax routes which allow international companies to pay very little tax.The agreement specifically mentioned the Panama Papers, a tranche of documents which showed the way in which money was being pumped around to avoid paying taxes. This scandal has triggered the Dutch parties to agree on an increase its tax oversight, they said.-Security and migration-The new government in The Hague will spend €13 million extra annually on counter-terrorism policies, and will lobby in Brussels for a "much tougher EU approach to jihadism".On migration, the four parties signalled they are open to new deals comparable to the one between EU and Turkey.For the left-wing Green party, being unable to agree on migration was the reason talks for its inclusion in the coalition – instead of the Christian Union – collapsed earlier this year.The country will increase its resettlement admission target, under an UNHCR programme, from 500 to 750 annually.It said a common European asylum policy is needed, and that the European Commission was "correct" in telling member states to be more effective in returning migrants whose asylum procedure has failed.The Netherlands will do its "fair share" in recently set up EU relocation programmes. The coalition parties also said that EU countries that refuse to resettle migrants, should be punished through a reduction in EU subsidies.-Climate-The coalition has agreed that the Netherlands and the EU should deliver more in the field of climate action.It said the EU-wide goal of 40 percent CO2 reduction by 2030 should be increased to 55 percent, compared to 1990 levels."If a sharper EU goal appears to be not feasible, then the Netherlands will strive to achieve more ambitious agreements with likeminded north-western European countries," the agreement said.It said that the Netherlands itself would reduce its CO2 level by 49 percent. This would require substantial efforts, since a recent study said that it is "highly unlikely" that the Netherlands will be able to reduce CO2 by 25 percent by 2020.This estimate, by think tank CE Delft, was based in part by the end of a project to deploy the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.The coalition deal wants to use CCS to reduce industry emissions, which should account for a third of reductions.All of the Netherlands' coal-fired power plants "should be closed by 2030", and all new cars coming on the market by that date should be "zero-emission cars".-Agriculture-Ahead of the reform of the EU's common agriculture policy, the Dutch coalition deal said that after 2020 this policy should be "simplified", as well as be less targeted as a means to support farmers' incomes, but more to support innovation, sustainability, food security, and food safety.The new Dutch government will also propose EU rules on increased animal welfare.-Referendums-The new government also wants to annul the law which made a referendum possible on the trade and political treaty between the EU and Ukraine.The 2015 law allows citizens to demand a plebiscite on a recently adopted law if they acquire 300,000 signatures.Last year, Dutch voters at the first such referendum, on the Ukraine deal, struck it down.Consequently, Dutch diplomats and the government spent countless hours trying to find a way to find a 'solution' to the Dutch 'No' – in the end a non-binding paper was attached to the treaty, which No campaigners criticised as being meaningless.Meanwhile, it looks increasingly likely that a second citizens-enforced referendum will take place before the law making them possible will be abolished.A law on so-called 'dragnet' surveillance of Dutch citizens has been criticised by students and privacy activists. This week, the 300,000 signature threshold was reached, although they still need to be declared valid by the Dutch electoral committee.As a possible advance, the coalition partners specifically dedicated a paragraph to the new law, saying its evaluation will take place earlier than planned, with the option to increase oversight to ensure it is not being misused to randomly spy on citizens.
Opinion-Spanish constitution needs overhaul to avert Catalonia crisis-By Camino Mortera-Martinez-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 9. Oct, 16:01-Television footage of Guardia Civil officers in riot gear manhandling Catalonian citizens as they tried to vote in Sunday's independence referendum has shocked Europe.But this is not a simple case of a state denying the democratic rights of its people. The crisis in Catalonia is the result of a clash between increasingly radical separatism and a constitutional framework that is too rigid to accommodate those demands.To de-escalate the situation, Mariano Rajoy, Spain's prime minister, needs to urgently reform the country's model of regional government and change the constitution so it can better satisfy the hunger for greater self-determination in parts of the country.Dali, Gaudi, and FC Barcelona...Catalans have long been proud of their individual identity, with their own language, renowned artists like Dali and Gaudi, and a world-famous football team.Despite enjoying a degree of autonomy for many years, support for pro-independence parties in the region has grown in recent times in response to Spain's economic crisis and corruption scandals.While surveys have shown most Catalans want to stay in Spain, demands for independence have grown since Carles Puigdemont – a life-long separatist – became leader of Catalonia's regional administration in January 2016.Rajoy's response to Catalan demands for an independence plebiscite has been unequivocal: the Spanish constitution protects the country's territorial integrity and forbids such referendums. Puigdemont's decision to press on with a plebiscite earlier this month has triggered the most serious constitutional crisis in Spain since the country transitioned to democracy.The Catalan government said about 90 percent of the 2.2 million people who voted in Sunday's referendum backed independence, though the figures have not been independently verified and turnout was just 42 percent.In view of the results, Puigdemont has pledged to declare independence in the coming days, despite a rare public intervention from King Felipe criticising his actions and warning that Calatalan separatism threatens Spain's economic stability.There is a way for Rajoy to diffuse the crisis. As much as Spaniards cherish their constitution for laying the foundations for a transition to democracy in 1978, it is time to change it.While the referendum was illegal, Rajoy should acknowledge that the separatist feelings of many Catalans deserve to be addressed and improve the way the constitution recognises the country's regional diversity.The government should consider reforming its model of regional government, including giving the Senate more powers to be able to better represent the regions in the law-making process.The government needs to consider whether Spain would be best served by further devolution of powers to regional administrations.-'Get advice from Quebec, and Northern Ireland'-To depoliticise the reform process, and avoid more claims of victimisation by the Catalan government, Rajoy could set up a 'council of wise men and women' to carry out this work.This council could possibly be made up of a mix of former Spanish statesmen and international officials with experience of dealing with separatist issues in other countries, such as Quebec or Northern Ireland.Ensuring the process has support from across the political and regional spectrum at an early stage would help strengthen its mandate and give it legitimacy, as well as helping to reduce the possibility that it might be seen as a capitulation by Rajoy to the Catalan separatists.The situation would certainly have more chance of success if Puigdemont and Catalonia's pro-independence parties sign up to it, or at least suspend their separatist actions while it runs its course.-Personality clash-Given the personalities involved, a quick solution to the crisis may be unlikely. Rajoy has a tendency to bury his head in the sand when faced with intractable issues.His early offers of dialogue with Catalonia proved insufficient and when he finally dispatched his deputy prime minister to Barcelona to mediate, in November 2016, the initiative was too little too late.Rajoy's government has a tendency towards technocracy, and is seen as being incapable of looking beyond blunt judicial solutions to problems. Meanwhile, the rough treatment of voters by the Guardia Civil has galvanised the separatists' and brought them sympathy at home and abroad.On the Catalan side, Puigdemont has been equally unbending in his determination to challenge Madrid. He has cannily cultivated a narrative of the separatists as victims of state repression.-Shadow of Franco-This image harks back to the Franco years, when separatism in Catalonia and elsewhere in Spain was crushed by the dictatorship with measures such as bans on using regional languages.If Puigdemont goes ahead with his pledge to declare independence in the coming days he will be doing it in the knowledge that Madrid is likely to respond by enacting Article 155 of the constitution which gives the national government the power to assume control of the regional government – a move that is sure to further inflame tensions.Spain with its flamenco and bullfighting is often depicted as the land of passion, but the Catalan crisis requires cool heads and practical long-term solutions. The scenes of Guardia Civil officers dragging women out of polling stations, firing rubber bullets and beating peaceful voters with batons are reminiscent of darker times that should have no place in Spain or Europe today.Camino Mortera-Martinez is research fellow and Brussels representative at the Centre for European Reform
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Sheriff: Shooter shot guard before he fired on concert-goers-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
LAS VEGAS — Law enforcement authorities on Monday made a significant change to the timeline of the Las Vegas mass shooting, saying the gunman shot a hotel security guard before he opened fire on concert-goers.Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo had previously said the guard was shot after gunman Stephen Paddock fired at the country music festival and that the guard's arrival in the hallway of the Mandalay Bay hotel may have caused Paddock to stop firing.It was not immediately clear why the timeline of the shooting changed a week later and what the impact could be on the investigation.On Monday, Lombardo said security guard Jesus Campos was in a hallway of the Mandalay Bay hotel responding to a report of an open door when he heard drilling from Stephen Craig Paddock's room.Paddock, who had installed three cameras to monitor the approach to his suite, opened fire through the door, spraying 200 shots down the hall and wounding the guard, who alerted other security officials, Lombardo said.A few minutes later, Paddock began raining down bullets for 10 minutes in an attack that killed 58 people — the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, Lombardo said.Authorities also said Monday that Paddock targeted aviation fuel tanks, stocked his car with explosives and had personal protection gear as part of an escape plan.Paddock had power tools and was attempting to drill a hole in an adjacent wall, perhaps to mount another camera or to point a rifle through, but he never completed the work, Lombardo said. He also drilled holes and bolted a metal bar to try to prevent the opening of an emergency exit stairwell door near the door of his room.Lombardo again expressed frustration with the pace of the investigation, but not with the investigators who have yet to pinpoint the motive behind the shooter's decision to fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel casino on a Las Vegas Strip concert crowd of 22,000 on Oct. 1."It's because this individual purposely hid his actions leading up to this event, and it is difficult for us to find the answers to those actions," Lombardo said. "We believe he decided to take the lives he did and he had a very purposeful plan that he carried out."There is still no evidence Paddock was motivated by ideology, or that there was another shooter, he said. Investigators have found 200 incidents of Paddock moving through the city, and at no time was he with anyone else, Lombardo said.Lombardo said police and FBI agents, including behavioural profilers, still haven't found a particular event in Paddock's life that might have triggered the shooting. The sheriff added that a complete evaluation of Paddock's mental condition was not yet done. Authorities didn't find a note in his room, only a paper with numbers, he said.Investigators believe the numbers represented calculations for more precise shots, according to a law enforcement official who wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the ongoing investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.The sheriff also confirmed investigators are talking with Paddock's brother Eric Paddock, who travelled to Las Vegas, and continue to speak with the shooter's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, to get insight.Lombardo declined to reveal what they've said, but he stated, "Every piece of information we get is one more piece of the puzzle."Eric Paddock said he came to Las Vegas to retrieve his brother's body in hopes of sending the cremated ashes to their 89-year-old mother in Orlando.Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said Monday he could not discuss the results of an autopsy done on Stephen Paddock, who police said shot himself dead before officers arrived at the Las Vegas Strip hotel suite from which he rained gunfire on a concert crowd below.Eric Paddock told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he plans to put his brother's assets in a trust that would benefit the shooting victims.Law enforcement interviews with Paddock's brother Saturday and Sunday were part of an exhaustive search through the 64-year-old's life.Meanwhile, friends and relatives of the victims and other concert-goers who survived returned Monday to reclaim baby strollers, shoes, phones, backpacks and purses left behind in the panic as they fled.The personal effects being recovered were strewn across the massive grassy concert venue where 22,000 country music fans attended the Route 91 Harvest festival have become sentimental memories of loved ones for some and haunting reminders of the night of terror for others.People left behind thousands of items, Clark County Emergency Manager John Steinbeck said.Those who were in two areas of the concert grounds were being allowed to retrieve their things in groups, with authorities expanding the offer Monday to include people who were seated west of the stage. Authorities are powering up cellphones and asking people to text their full names to the phones to ensure they are returned to the correct owners.At the assistance centre set up at a convention centre in Las Vegas, a steady stream of individuals walked in on Monday looking for purses, wallets, cellphones and even a wedding bracelet. Volunteers filled out intake forms with detailed descriptions of their lost items, and later, FBI victims assistance agents asked for additional questions.People received their belongings in re-sealable plastic bags and were asked to check them. After identifying their items, some smiled and others hugged the FBI agents or Red Cross volunteers who had helped them.The sombre mood inside the hall was occasionally deepened by the weeping of some.___Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo in Las Vegas and Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles contributed to this report.___For complete coverage of the Las Vegas shooting, click here: https://apnews.com/tag/LasVegasmassshooting.Regina Garcia Cano And Ken Ritter, The Associated Press.
1,000 leads later, authorities still stumped by Vegas gunman-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
LAS VEGAS — More than a week after the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history investigators are stumped about the key question: What led a 64-year-old high-stakes gambler to kill 58 people and wound hundreds of others at a country music concert? It's an answer they may never find.The FBI and Las Vegas police have sorted through more than a thousand leads and examined Stephen Paddock's politics, finances, any possible terrorist radicalization and his social behaviour . By Monday they had repeatedly searched his homes and interviewed his brother, girlfriend and others he's done business with.But the typical investigative avenues that have helped uncover the motive in past shootings have yielded few clues about Paddock, a professional gambler who spent nearly every waking hour playing video poker at casinos. That closeted existence has covered the trail for investigators."This individual purposely hid his actions leading up to this event and it is difficult for us to find the answers to those actions," Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Monday, conceding he's frustrated.The FBI has brought in behavioural profilers as they continue questioning Paddock's live-in girlfriend, Marilou Danley, about his gun purchases and what she may have noticed about his behaviour , Lombardo said.Paddock had stockpiled 23 guns, a dozen of them modified to fire continuously like an automatic weapon inside his 32nd-floor Mandalay Bay hotel room, where he busted out two windows before opening fire on the crowd.The sheriff changed the timeline of the shooting Monday, explaining that a security guard in the hotel's hallway responding to a report of an open door heard drilling from Paddock's room. Paddock, who had installed three cameras to monitor the approach to his suite, opened fire through the door, spraying 200 shots down the hall and wounding the guard, who alerted other security officials.A few minutes later, Paddock began the 10-minute attack on those on the ground.Previously the sheriff had said the guard's arrival in the hallway may have caused Paddock to stop firing. He said Monday he didn't know what prompted Paddock to end his deadly gunfire.The gunman had shot at aviation fuel tanks, stocked his car with explosives and had personal protection gear as part of an escape plan, authorities said Monday.Paddock's life has remained somewhat of a mystery and most people who have interacted with him said nothing really stood out about him."It's his actual normalcy that makes him a fascinating study," said David Gomez, a former FBI profiler.The small group people who knew Paddock well has said the one-time IRS agent and the son of a notorious bank robber did essentially nothing except gamble, sleep and travel between casinos. Investigators are sifting through every piece of Paddock's life from birth to death, Lombardo has said."Every piece of information we get is one more piece of the puzzle," the sheriff said Monday.Experts say it is extremely unusual to have so few clues more than a week after a mass shooting. In past mass killings or terrorist attacks, killers left notes, social media postings and information on a computer, or even phoned police.In this case, there was no suicide note, no manifesto, no evidence the gunman was motivated by any ideology and Paddock has no clear presence on social media, police said.The FBI is working around-the-clock and a "comprehensive picture is being drawn as to the suspect's mental state," the sheriff said. Though at this point, they haven't found any one particular event in Paddock's life that triggered the shooting, he said.Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said Monday an autopsy was done but could not discuss results of whether it yielded any clues to Paddocks actions.But even as investigators work to try to figure out what might've led Paddock to commit the shooting, there may never be a clear answer."Sometimes there isn't an understandable explanation for why someone commits a horrific crime," Gomez said.What has become very clear to investigators is that Paddock meticulously planned the attack. He requested an upper-floor room overlooking the country music festival and set up cameras inside and outside his room to watch for approaching officers.After the shooting, police found a piece of paper on a nightstand in Paddock's hotel room that contained a series of numbers that helped him calculate a more precise aim, accounting for the trajectory of shots being fired from that height and the distance between his room and the concert, a federal official said. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the ongoing investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.In not leaving behind an easily accessible manifesto, Paddock defied societal expectations that mass murderers will want their disturbed motives known to the world, said Clint Van Zandt, a former FBI profiler and hostage negotiator."The reason you want to engage in an attack is you want to be promoting your extremist ideology — you want publicity," said Erroll Southers, director of homegrown violent extremism studies at the University of Southern California. "You want people to be afraid of what you believe and what you do."But although most killers may want to take credit for their act, Paddock might have reveled in the riddle he's presented for investigators, Van Zandt said."He may even find some solace knowing that, 'I've left so few footprints, they're going to have a helluva time figuring out who I am.' And that, in his challenged mind, might bring him a terrible level of satisfaction," he said.Despite the absence of easy answers, investigators may still be able to fill out a portrait of Paddock's mindset in the coming weeks, Van Zandt said."Instead of a eureka moment, I think what investigators are doing is they're putting an ounce of information at a time on the scale," he said.___Balsamo reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Sadie Gurman in Washington and Regina Garcia-Cano in Las Vegas contributed to this report.___Ken Ritter And Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press.
North Korea's 'princess' now one of the secretive state's top policy makers-[Reuters]-By Hyonhee Shin and Soyoung Kim-YAHOONEWS-October 9, 2017
SEOUL (Reuters) - The promotion of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's 28-year-old sister to the country's top decision-making body is a sign he is strengthening his position by drawing his most important people closer to the center of power, experts and officials say.Kim Yo Jong was named as an alternate member of the politburo within the ruling Workers' Party of Korea - the opaque, all-powerful party organ where top state affairs are decided, the North's official media said on Sunday.It makes her only the second woman in patriarchal North Korea to join the exclusive club after Kim Kyong Hui, who held powerful roles when her brother Kim Jong Il ruled the country."Since she is a female, Kim Jong Un likely does not see her as a threat and a challenge to his leadership," said Moon Hong-sik, research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy. "As the saying goes ‘blood is thicker than water,’ Kim Jong Un thinks Kim Yo Jong can be trusted."Unlike her aunt, who was promoted to the politburo in 2012 after serving more than three decades in the party, Kim Yo Jong has risen to power at an unprecedented pace.Kim Kyong Hui has not been seen since her husband, Jang Song Thaek, once regarded as the No.2 leader in Pyongyang, was executed in 2013. South Korea's spy agency believes she is now in a secluded place near Pyongyang undergoing a treatment for an unidentified disease, according to an August briefing to parliament.Jang and his wife are not the only relatives to fall from Kim Jong Un's favor.Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was killed with a toxic nerve agent at a Malaysian airport in February. Two women are on trial for the murder, which South Korean and U.S. officials believe Kim Jong Un's regime was behind.Kim Jong Nam, who lived in exile in Macau, had criticized his family's dynastic rule and his brother had issued a standing order for his execution, according to some South Korean lawmakers.-IN A PONYTAIL AND BLACK SUITS-The smartly dressed Kim Yo Jong, her hair usually pulled back in a ponytail and mostly seen in black suits and black-heeled shoes, made her first debut on state media in December 2011, seen standing tearfully next to Kim Jong Un at the funeral of their father.Since then, Kim has made several appearances with her brother, giggling at concerts, riding a white horse, smiling as she receives flowers on his behalf at state functions.Her youth and bubbly personality seen in state media are in stark contrast to the usually glum generals and aging party cadres who follow Kim Jong Un on official duties.Having previously only occasionally appeared in the background, the young heiress has moved to the front and center of media photos more recently, assisting her brother at numerous high-profile state events.At a massive military parade in April to mark the 105th birth anniversary of founding father Kim Il Sung, she was seen rushing out from behind pillars to bring paperwork to her brother as he prepared to give an address.The same month, she stood alongside him during the unveiling ceremony of a construction project in Pyongyang.In March 2016, she accompanied Kim Jong Un to a field guidance for nuclear scientists, where he claimed successful miniaturisation of nuclear warheads."Kim Yo Jong's official inclusion in the 30-strong exclusive club of North Korea's chief policy makers means her role within the regime will be expanded further," Cheong Seong-chang, senior fellow at the Sejong Institute south of Seoul.BEHIND THE VEIL-Apart from her age, little is known about Kim Yo Jong. She was publicly identified for the first time in February 2011 when a South Korean TV station caught her at a Eric Clapton concert in Singapore with her other brother, Kim Jong Chol.The three, who all reportedly went to school in Switzerland, are full blood siblings, born to Kim Jong Il's fourth partner, Ko Yong Hui.Kim Jong Chol, the oldest of Kim Jong Il's sons, does not involve himself in politics, leading a quiet life in Pyongyang where he plays guitar in a band, according to Thae Yong Ho, North Korea’s former deputy ambassador in London who defected to the South.In 2014, Kim Yo Jong was made vice director of the Workers' Party's Propaganda and Agitation Department, which handles ideological messaging through the media, arts and culture. The position led the U.S. Treasury Department to blacklist her along with six other North Korean officials in January for "severe human rights abuses" and censorship that concealed the regime's "inhumane and oppressive behavior".Last year, South Korea's former spy chief said Kim Yo Jong was seen "abusing power", punishing propaganda department executives for "minor mistakes".In a North Korean state media photo in January 2015, she was spotted wearing a ring on her fourth finger during a visit to a child care center.South Korean intelligence officials say Kim might have wed a schoolmate from the prestigious Kim Il Sung University, but there has been no confirmation of whether she is indeed married or to whom.(Additional reporting by James Pearson and Haejin Choi in Seoul; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
Iraq looks to reopen oil pipeline in bid to rival Kurds-Agence France-Presse-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq said Tuesday it was looking to revive a defunct oil pipeline to Turkey as it looks to restore key exports amid a dispute with the Kurds over their independence vote.Energy Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi asked three state-owned firms "to come up urgently with a mechanism to repair and renovate" the pipeline from the Kirkuk region claimed by both Baghdad and Kurdistan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, officials said in a statement.The move could help restore a strategic alternative route for the central authorities to rival a parallel Kurdish pipeline that also runs from the region's oilfields to Ceyhan.The Iraqi pipeline was cut off after the Islamic State group seized swathes of the country in 2014, halting a flow of oil to Turkey of up to 400,000 barrels a day.Both Baghdad and Iraq's Kurdistan region lay claim to Kirkuk province, with each side controlling three of the area's lucrative oilfields.The Kurdish pipeline -- opened in 2013 -- has a capacity of 600,000 barrels per day and accounts for some half of the autonomous region's overall oil exports.Oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad told AFP the plan to revive the pipeline was made possible after government forces recaptured areas it crosses from IS.Iraqi energy expert Ruba Husari said the move showed Iraq's "determination" to "reverse the situation created by the Kurds over the past few years".Baghdad and Arbil have been locked in a stand-off since voters in Kurdistan overwhelmingly opted two weeks ago for independence in a referendum that the central government slammed as illegal.Iraq has cut Kurdistan off from the outside world by severing air links to the region, while neighbouring Turkey and Iran have threatened to close their borders and block oil exports.
Israel says Hezbollah runs Lebanese army, signaling both are foes-[Reuters]-By Dan Williams-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Tuesday that the Hezbollah guerrilla group, its most potent enemy in neighboring Lebanon, had gained control over that country's U.S.-sponsored conventional military, signaling both would be in Israeli gunsights in any future war.Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman's remarks were a hard tack from more measured recent Israeli estimates that the Lebanese army maintained autonomy even if some of its troops cooperated with the better-armed, Iranian-aligned guerrillas.Outlining potential threats in Lebanon, where Israel last fought a war against Hezbollah in 2006, Lieberman said in a speech: "We are no longer talking about Hezbollah alone"."We are talking about Hezbollah and the Lebanese army, and to my regret this is the reality. The Lebanese army has turned into an integral part of Hezbollah's command structure. The Lebanese army has lost its independence and become an inseparable part of the Hezbollah apparatus," Lieberman said.There was no immediate response from Lebanon, which is formally in a state of war with Israel, nor from the U.S. embassies in Beirut and Tel Aviv.The Lebanese army has previously said it operates independently from Hezbollah, most recently during an operation against Islamic State militants at the Lebanese-Syrian border, during which the army said there was absolutely no coordination with Hezbollah fighters who attacked IS from the Syrian side."ONE THEATER"-Hosting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in July for aid talks, U.S. President Donald Trump praised Beirut's efforts to stem the spread of Islamic State and pledged continued help from Washington."America's assistance can help ensure that the Lebanese army is the only defender Lebanon needs,” Trump said.The Pentagon said Washington has provided Lebanon with more than $1.5 billion in military assistance since 2006, and that U.S. special forces have been providing "training and support" for the Lebanese army since 2011."Strengthening the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces) also advances a range of U.S. interests in the Middle East that includes not only countering the spread of ISIS (Islamic State) and other violent extremists but also stemming the influence of Iran and Hezbollah in the region," Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said.While welcoming U.S. action against Islamic State, Israel sees Iran, Hezbollah and their allies as the greater threat and worries about their entrenchment in Syria as they help President Bashar al-Assad beat back a more than six-year-old rebellion.Lieberman said Israel sought to avoid going to war again on its northern front, which, he predicted, would include Syria."In anything that transpires, it will be one theater, Syria and Lebanon together, Hezbollah, the Assad regime and all of the Assad regime’s collaborators," he said.(Writing by Dan Williams; Additional reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Ancient pools near Jerusalem set for renovation-Agence France-Presse-YAHOONEWS-October 10, 2017
Al-Khader (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Ancient pools that provided water to Jerusalem around the time of Jesus are to be restored under a $750,000 renovation funded by the United States, officials said Tuesday.The three Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank were built around the time of Jesus's birth and were key sources of water for the city, according to research from the Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS).The first aqueduct which fed the pools from the south was probably built by Herod the Great between 37 and 4 BC, the study showed.In the 2,000 years since, they have fallen into disrepair and only two of the three are full with water, with the oldest one in poor condition.At least six people have drowned in the unmonitored pools since 1993, according to the IPS.The US Consulate in Jerusalem has provided $750,000 for renovations and hopes to see the pools become part of a major tourism site in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967."This project is about more than just protecting history. It is about protecting the lives and livelihoods of the people living here today," US Consul General Donald Blome said.The grant comes at a time when US President Donald Trump is trying to convince Palestinian and Israeli leaders to restart stalled peace negotiations and economic support to the Palestinians has been a key pillar of such attempts."(Trump) has made it clear that a necessary element for the achievement of peace would be unlocking the full potential of the Palestinian economy," Blome added.High in the hills and with dry conditions much of the year, Jerusalem has suffered from water shortages throughout its history.George Bassous, general manager of the Solomon's Pools, said the site had been neglected."The importance of this site stems from the fact that it has for centuries provided Jerusalem with water, so it is our duty to protect and restore it."
Japan court: Govt, utility accountable in Fukushima accident-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWSS-October 10, 2017
TOKYO — A Japanese court on Tuesday ordered the government and the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant to pay 500 million yen ($4.5 million) to thousands of area residents and evacuees who were demanding compensation for their livelihoods lost in the 2011 nuclear crisis.The Fukushima District Court said the government had failed to order Tokyo Electric Power Co. to improve safety measures despite knowing as early as 2002 of a risk of a massive tsunami in the region.The 3,800 plaintiffs, who sued in 2015, form the largest group among about 30 similar lawsuits involving 12,000 people pending across Japan.Closely monitored as a measure of government responsibility, Tuesday's ruling was the second verdict that held the government accountable in the Fukushima meltdowns, increasing hopes for other pending cases.The court upheld the plaintiffs' argument that the disaster could have been prevented if the economy and industry ministry had ordered TEPCO to move emergency diesel generators from the basement to higher ground and make the reactor buildings water-tight based on 2002 data that suggested there was a risk of a tsunami as high as 15.7 metres (51 feet).The court also upheld arguments by the plaintiffs that TEPCO ignored another chance to take safety measures when a government study group warned in 2008 of a major tsunami triggering a power outage at the plant.The tsunami that swept into the plant on March 11, 2011, knocked out the reactors' cooling system and destroyed the backup generators that could have kept it running and kept the nuclear fuel stable.The government and the utility have argued that a tsunami as high as what occurred could not have been anticipated and that the accident was unavoidable.Nuclear Regulation Authority spokesman Kazuhiro Okuma told reporters that the authority plans to discuss whether to appeal the ruling with other government agencies. He said the regulatory authority is determined to fulfil its duty to strictly examine reactor safety under the new standard based on the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident.Investigation reports by the government, parliament and private groups have blamed the disaster on TEPCO's lack of safety culture, as well as collusion between the utility and government regulators that had allowed lax oversight. After the accident, the more independent regulatory system and a stricter safety standard were established.Tuesday's ruling dismissed the plaintiffs' demand that radiation levels in their former neighbourhoods be reduced to pre-disaster levels.TEPCO is still struggling with the plant's decommissioning, which is expected to take decades.The ruling followed a decision in March by the Maebashi District Court, which ordered the government and TEPCO to split the 38 million yen ($336,000) compensation to 62 former Fukushima residents in addition to the compensation TEPCO had already paid them. Another ruling last month, however, said only TEPCO should pay 376 million yen ($3.4 million) to nearly 45 former Fukushima residents.___Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at twitter.com/mariyamaguchi-Find her work at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchi-Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press.
